


loving you is worth it

by goldenthunderstorms



Category: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue Series - Mackenzi Lee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, But shhh, Fluff, Gay Disasters, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY, M/M, Mentions of Taylor Swift, Modern Era, Self-Indulgent, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, and he has a little sister because i said so, duh - Freeform, even if we dont see a lot of them here, one day i will write a whole fic, percys parents are alive because i said so, really i just wrote this to deal with writing block, so i must supply them, solely for monty being friends with his old hookups, the whole gangs here, this fandom is shamefully lacking in wedding fics, weddings!!, yes i did make them a wedding playlist, you will pry montys friendships with jeanne and sinjon from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:09:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21824182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenthunderstorms/pseuds/goldenthunderstorms
Summary: “You look like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown,” Felicity says.“He’ll be fine,” Sinjon replies.“Well, are you ready?” she asks me.“No,” I admit, “but let’s do it anyway.”“Good answer. Percy’s waiting.”(OR a self-indulgent wedding fic that nobody asked for but we all needed)
Relationships: Felicity Montague & Henry "Monty" Montague, Henry "Monty" Montague/Percy Newton
Comments: 9
Kudos: 59





	loving you is worth it

**Author's Note:**

> hola yes hi  
> i have had the worst writers block and so i wrote this  
> its really fluffy  
> enjoy please comment listen to the playlist  
> i love yall mwah

_hi here's their wedding playlist i made to listen to while you read:[mercy's wedding playlist](https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6MHjQkeLW5P1H7X4kUKAlh?si=1YfqvchnTG62eiGnCHJDQQ)_

I don’t know that my hands have ever been so shaky. I don’t know that I’ve ever been so nervous.

“You’re an absolute train wreck right now,” Sinjon says. 

“Wouldn’t you be?” I reply, meeting his gaze in the mirror. I’ve been obsessing over my tie that I haven’t been able to tie right for the past ten minutes, panicking.

Sinjon smiles. “Of course not. I’m completely composed at all times.” I want to argue, but he’s kind of right. It takes a lot to shake Sinjon. We reconnected during college and he’s surprisingly a better friend than he is a hookup.

I roll my eyes at him. “Well, I’m not. God, why did I agree to this?”

“Because you and Percy wanted a celebration.”

“You’re not a very supportive best man.”

“You always could have asked Felicity.”

“She would’ve told me to get my shit together by now.”

“Get your shit together.” Sinjon comes up behind me, grabs my shoulders, and spins me around. He fixes my tie with ease. “It’s almost time.”

I rock on my heels. “I’m a little terrified,” I admit.

Sinjon’s face softens. “That’s the right feeling.”

“Did you feel like this when you and Carmine got married?” I ask. Sinjon and his husband got married young when they were only 21. I can’t imagine being married to Percy in the middle of college, _neither_ of us truly having our shit together. But now, at 25, it feels right.

“Absolutely,” Sinjon admits. “Carmine was a mess too. He cried the entire time.”

“I think Felicity and Sim have a bet on who’s going to cry first between Percy and I.”

“My money is on Percy. He’s the sappier one between you two.”

I can’t dispute that. “Where is Felicity, anyway? I sort of need her.”

“Right here,” Felicity appears in the doorway. She’s wearing a simple white suit with a black blouse. My suit is a deep blue, but the wedding is already so nontraditional that we decided dress codes were pretty pointless. Percy still went with a traditional suit, though I haven’t seen it yet. I haven’t seen him since yesterday because Johanna enforced the rule that fiancés can’t see each other on the day of the wedding.

“You look like you’re about to have a nervous breakdown,” Felicity says.

“He’ll be fine,” Sinjon replies.

“Well, are you ready?” she asks me. She runs a hand over the side of her head, something she’s been doing habitually ever since she shaved it last week. The side-shaved look works for her, though I would never admit that to her.

“No,” I admit, “but let’s do it anyway.”

“Good answer. Percy’s waiting.”

As I said, Percy and I have a very nontraditional wedding. As my only family, Felicity is standing in as my father. Sinjon is my best man, Ebrahim is Percy’s. Scipio is officiating. In attendance is Sim, Sim’s girlfriend Sekai, Johanna, Jeanne, Carmine, Scipio’s gang, Percy’s family, and of course Sinjon and Felicity. 

Felicity offers her arm to me. I laugh a little and take it. She’s barely taller than me now but she is. I won’t let it bother me today.

“You really don’t need to be nervous,” Felicity says as we head downstairs. The probably most nontraditional part of this all is the fact that we’re getting married in Sinjon and Carmine’s backyard. But Sinjon and Carmine have a large, nice house with a larger, nice backyard that made the cheapest and easiest venue. Sinjon and Carmine obviously weren’t going to make us pay to use their backyard, so we just had to set up and pay for catering. 

“I know but that doesn’t make me any less nervous.”

“Why would you be nervous? Your childhood crush is agreeing to be stuck with you for the rest of your lives.”

“That’s kind of terrifying,” Sinjon cuts in, “when you think of it like that. But really, not a lot will change. Legally, sure. And everyone will see you a bit differently. But you and Percy have been living together for years and have known each other pretty much your whole lives. If he isn’t sick of you by now, he won’t be.”

“None of this is very helpful,” I mutter.

Felicity laughs. “We’re realists.”

We make it downstairs where Georgie and Esmeralda are waiting. Georgie is a young boy who’s uncle is in Scipio’s gang and is acting as our ring bearer. Esmeralda is Percy’s half-sister who is our acting flower girl. Esmeralda perks up as we come down, her curls bouncing as she jumps. She doesn’t look much like Percy, who shares most of his features with his father, but she acts a lot like he did when he was ten.

“Now?” Esmeralda asks.

“Now,” I say.

Esme grins and throws open the doors. The DJ starts playing some piano song that isn’t _Here Comes The Bride_ for obvious reasons. Esme jogs more than walks down the aisle, tossing flower petals. Georgie follows her, his steps a bit more measured. Sinjon walks down the aisle in front of us with Carmine at his side. Carmine kisses his cheek before going to sit down again while Sinjon takes his place near the altar.

Then it’s my turn. As we’re walking I see Percy and he’s so goddamn beautiful. I think I’m going to cry right there, and Felicity is going to win the bet with Sim because of course she would be the one to bet that I would cry first. He’s just so perfect. He’s smiling wider than I’ve ever seen him. He looks like he’s about to cry too so I try not to because I’ll be damned if Felicity wins that bet. But it’s an effort. I feel like I’m made of love for this man with his constellations of freckles and his unruly curls and his kind heart.

Right before the altar, we stop. Felicity turns to me and she hugs me. It’s a little stiff because it’s coming from Felicity but she’s committed to it. “I’m really proud of you,” she says. “And I’m really happy for you.” She squeezes me before letting go and taking her seat.

I take my place with Percy.

He takes my hands. He has calluses from his violin that feel almost as familiar as the touch itself. My hands are still shaking and he must notice because he gives them a squeeze. I look up at him.

Percy smiles.

Fuck. I’m crying. But I’m smiling too.

If you told sixteen-year-old me, beaten bloody and pining, that this day would come, he would laugh in your face. He would laugh so hard that he would cry. Then he would probably just cry. For a long time, even at the beginning of my relationship with Percy, I didn’t think this was possible. I never imagined I would get to have a wedding, marrying someone I love, surrounded by people I love. For a long time, I thought I would be dead before it could happen. I thought that I would end up marrying some heiress my father chose because no one would _want_ to tie themselves to me, or the person who did would be a man. But here’s Percy, filling both of those requirements.

So here we are, crying and smiling at each other like the lovesick idiots we are.

Scipio starts to speak. "Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Monty and Percy a very important moment in their lives. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and husband." They’re customary words. We didn’t put a lot into this part of the ceremony because a lot of it is boring (Percy’s words, though he won’t admit to it). This, along with the fact that Scipio isn’t ordained, doesn’t really matter because Percy and I are already legally married. But we wanted a celebration too, just for the sake of it.

“Before the exchanging of the rings, the grooms will say a few words.”

Percy and I flipped a coin to decide who did their vows first because neither of us is an expert in speaking our feelings. I lost.

“I tried to write these vows a hundred times and hated it more each time so I’m just sort of going off the top of my head with a vague idea,” I start, prompting a few laughs from Percy and our guests. “Perce, when we first got together, we were disasters. Absolute wrecks.” I laugh, nervously, and he laughs genuinely. “There were a lot of times when we were worn down, exhausted, and I expected us to break up. I thought maybe we just can’t do this. Maybe I’m too bad at this or we rushed into it or you regretted it. Maybe we only stayed together because we were guilty and I’d given up everything for this. But now I know that it was worth it.

“One time, after a really bad fight, you told me we didn’t have to do this. You said that you would leave if I wanted you to. I asked you why, if you wanted to leave, why you stayed. You said it was because I’m worth it. You said that we’d seen bad days before and we pushed through them and it brought us here and you thought we could push through more. Because you loved me. Well, Percy, loving you is worth it. Even if sometimes we drive each other up the wall, it’s worth it. It’s worth it because we worked through all the fights and our problems. It’s worth it because you saved me from myself and without you I would probably be dead. Giving up everything, running away from home, striking our life on our own, making up after dozens of fights, it was all worth it because I love you. Because you were patient and caring with me when no one else was. You were there for me when I felt like I didn’t have anyone. You gave me reasons to live when I thought there weren’t any. You’ve been the love of my life for years and my best friend my whole life. Everything we went through together to get here was worth it because I’m absolutely in love with you and can’t imagine life without you.” I squeeze his hands. “And I’m sort of glad I had to say my vows first because how could you reject me after such a heartfelt speech?” I add, forcing another laugh.

Percy laughs too, but he’s also sobbing. I mean actually happy-sobbing (at least hopefully happy). He has to let go of my hands to wipe tears and I feel proud knowing that at least my vows were good.

“Now I wish I would have gone first because there’s no way I can top that,” he says.

“You’re not supposed to,” I point out.

“Yeah, but at least if I had gone first it would’ve been less embarrassing that your vows are better.”

“Just say your vows!” Sim calls from the audience.

There’s more nervous laughter. Percy sighs and takes my hands again. “Monty, I have waited years to say some of this stuff to you. Some of it was meant for my first grand declaration of love but since you interrupted me then . . .” he trails off, grinning.

“I’m still sorry!”

“I forgive you. But in all seriousness, I’ve loved you for a long time. If you told a younger Percy—hopelessly in love with an emphasis on the hopeless—that one day we’d be here, I wouldn’t have believed it. I hate to say it, and I know it’s cliche, but it’s true. We had more than our fair share of problems, but we worked through them. Mostly because you’re headstrong, stubborn, and you never take no for an answer.”

I’m about to protest but he stops me.

“And I love that. If you weren’t so stubborn and headstrong, we probably wouldn’t be here. You’re the bravest, most devoted, selfless man I’ve ever known. And every day I feel so lucky that you chose me. But my favorite part of you will always be your stubbornness. Despite everything, you’ve never given up. Even when I doubted you, you loved me. Even when things seemed impossible and it cost you everything, you loved me. Even when I made it difficult, you loved me. I know I can still make it difficult sometimes. 

“Even when you had _every reason_ not to, you loved me. But more than that, you’ve survived everything. Even when you didn’t want to, you kept living. Even when everything seemed like it was telling you not to, you kept living. I’ve never admired someone more in my life than I admire you. You deserve every good thing, Monty. And I’m so happy that I get to be part of so many of them.”

Now we’re both crying hard. His mom is crying. Johanna is crying. Even Scipio wipes away a stray tear. I love him so much that it threatens to overwhelm me. I want to just kiss him senseless, but I have to refrain because we’re in public and this is our wedding.

“Now,” Scipio starts. His voice cracks. He clears his throat and tries again. “Now, for the exchanging of the rings. If the ringbearer will come forward,” he says.

Georgie hops up and approaches the altar.

Percy and I take the wedding bands from him and slide them onto each other’s fingers as Scipio reads the typical _I do_ statements.

“Do you, Percy Newton, choose Henry Montague to be your partner in life, to support and respect him in his successes as well his failures, to care for him in sickness and in health, to nurture him, and to grow with him throughout the seasons of your life together?" Scipio recites.

“I do,” Percy says, nodding a little too enthusiastically.

“Do you, Henry Montague, choose Percy Newton to be your partner in life, to support and respect him in his successes as well his failures, to care for him in sickness and in health, to nurture him, and to grow with him throughout the seasons of your life together?"

“I do,” I say. It comes out tripping on a small laugh, almost a hysterical one. But I’m just giddy. Even though we’ve signed all the papers, this makes it feel like we’re really married.

Scipio smiles. “Then with the power not vested in me, I pronounce you husband and husband. You may kiss the groom.”

I grab Percy by his shoulders and kiss him fiercely. Percy kisses me like he hasn’t had the luxury to do so in a year rather than a day. It’s a little salty, tears and all, but it’s one of the best kisses we’ve ever had. I don’t really want to stop but Percy pulls back and I’m made aware of our cheering friends and family.

“Friends and family, may I present for the first time, Mr. and Mr. Newton!”

Everyone cheers louder. Percy picks me up (which we did _not_ agree on) and carries me down the aisle. When we reach the other end he sets me down and kisses me again, then hugs me.

“How does it feel to be Mr. Newton?” he asks, into my good ear and so soft that only I can hear him.

“Worth the wait.”


End file.
